Dublin Family Gets Record $36M Settlement In Deputy Double Murder Case

DUBLIN, CA — A Dublin family will receive a $36 million wrongful death settlement from Alameda County, the largest settlement in county history. The settlement, approved 4-0 by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the family of Benison and Maria Tran, a Dublin couple shot dead by former Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy Devin Williams, who had been in a relationship with Tran. In 2024, Williams was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced 50 years to life in prison.

The suit alleges that the county hired Williams even though he failed a psychological evaluation and was deemed “not suited” for police work. It also alleges that deputies failed to follow ACSO domestic violence protocols, failed to advise Maria Tran regarding an emergency protective order, falsified the 911 call record, and failed to generate the mandatory incident report for an encounter Tran had with Williams.

Tran met Williams through work at the John George Psychiatric Pavilion and began a relationship with him, according to court records and sworn testimony. In August 2022, after Tran ended the relationship, Williams arrived at her home to confront her and her husband. She called the police, and four ACSO deputies responded. Williams identified himself as a fellow deputy, presenting his ACSO identification card. Body-worn camera footage from the encounter shows one responding deputy saying, “He’s one of us.” Footage also shows one of the deputies saying they were going to turn off their body camera microphones, which is not allowed by the sheriff’s department, according to attorney Christopher Dolan.

Tran asked police to help her get a restraining order against Williams, but Dublin police incorrectly told her this was not possible, according to the lawsuit and attorney statements. If Tran had been able to obtain a restraining order, Williams’ gun would have likely been taken away, Dolan said. The suit then alleges that deputies falsified the 911 record by marking the call "unfounded," stating that no suspect had been identified. They also omitted Williams’ identity, and Tran’s request for help obtaining a restraining order.

A few weeks later on September 7, Williams arrived at Tran’s home and shot her and her husband in front of their 14-year-old son, and Maria’s mother, brother, and cousin. The settlement will be split between them.

“This was a double murder that the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office had many chances to prevent,” Attorney Christopehr Dolan said in a statement. “Instead, they gave a fellow deputy a pass and later arrested and convicted a murderer after the fact.”

Alameda County approved the settlement, but did not admit any liability. “Our hearts go out to the entire family for the tragic loss of Maria and Benison Tran on September 7, 2022,” the county said in a statement shared with KTVU. “This settlement ends the legal chapter, and we hope it will bring a moment of peace to the family and the community. The County fully supports the Sheriff’s efforts to improve oversight and take corrective action in the hiring of sworn personnel.”

Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez, who was not sheriff at the time of the murder, told KTVU that she extends her deepest condolences to the Tran family, and acknowledged their “tragic passing will continue to have a profound and life-altering impact on their entire family and the community.” Sanchez also told KTVU that her office has strengthened hiring practices by improving background investigations and increasing supervisory oversight.

A 2022 audit found that 47 Alameda County sheriff’s deputies hired between 2016 and 2022 were also hired despite receiving a not suitable rating, according to KTVU. The deputies were temporarily stripped of law enforcement powers and reassigned to limited duty while the sheriff’s office sought additional evaluations. A sheriff’s captain wrote in a memo that the deputies had “done nothing wrong” and had done “great work” for the office and community.

SEE ALSO:

• Ex-Deputy Sentenced For Dublin Double Murder: Reports
• Former Sheriff's Deputy Convicted Of Double Murder Of Dublin Couple
• Former Dublin Deputy Devin Williams Charged With Double Murder